Trolley-wire clamp



s. E. HENRY. TROL'LEY WIRE CLAMP. APPLICATION FILED MAY 13, 1920.

PatentedFeb. 8,1921.

G eor es 'aauara Henry 3mm UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE- GEORGES E. HENRY, OF MANSFIELD, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE OHIO BRASS COMPANY, OF MANSFIELD, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY..

TROLLEY-TVIRE CLAMP.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 8, 1921.

Application filed May 13, 1920. Serial No. 381,000.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Gnonens EDOUABD HENRY, a citizen of Switzerland, residing at Mansfield, in the county of Richland and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Trolley-Wire Clamps, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in trolley wire clamps;'that is, a construction adapted to grip the trolley wire and suspend it from an overhead support; and the objects of my device are to provide a construction which is simple, strong and compact; to provide a device which can be installedupon the trolley wire and. the overhead support by a single operation; to provide a device which has sulficient range of operation to accommodate itself to several different sizes of wire; to provide a structure which is rotatively adjustable relatively to the hanger to accommodate itself to the trolley wire. Other objects will be readily comprehended from the description to follow.

These objects are obtained through the construction, combination and relation of the various parts as more fully set forth in the description and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 shows a side elevation view of my invention as securely gripping a trol: ley wire and installed upon an overhead su ort.

ig. 2 is an end elevation v1ew of Fig. 1 in which H indicates the hanger, C ind1- cates the clamp and IV indicates the w1re.

Fig. 3 is a sectionalview of my device taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. l and represents my invention as hanging to the lower end of the hanger stud and with a wire between the jaws. In this condition all parts are in a relaxed condition and ready to be installed securely upon the trolley wire and the hanger. m Fig. 4. shows a sectional view as in Pig. 3 but in which the clamp has been finally s cured to the trolley wire and the hanger.

Fig. 5 is a sectional View on the line 5-5.

of Fig. 3 and shows these parts to be round or circular thereby permitting relative rotation. I

Fig. 6 is a section taken on the line 6 6 of Fig. 3 and shows the interlocked section between the parts 4 and 9 against relative rotation. P

In my preferred form I make use of two clamp ng members 1 provided at the lower end with means 2 for engaging and gripping a trolley wire, and having at the upper end flanges'3 forming, when two of the j aws are placed face to face, a cavity having tapered gether in a unitary operable construction I provide a collar 6 inclosing the upper end of the jaws and the thimble, and the collar is held in position by the lips 7 which are turned under to engage shoulders on the clamping members 1 which may be done by a rolling or swaging operation. The lips 7 before being rolled or turned under are in (heated by the dotted line. By this construction a shoulder on the clamping member 1 is made to engage with the collar 6 at the point 8 and the two are interlocked together thereby interlocking all of the parts into a unitary operable structure. The clamping members pivot at the point 8.

The collar is provided at its upper end with a portion 9 which is provided with a polygonal sided exterior and interior surface as shown in Fig. 6; the exterior surface being adapted to the application of a wrench and the interior surface locks the collar and thimble. against relative rotation such that when the collar is rotated the thimble will also rotate in unison, but permitting free longitudinal movement of the thimble relatively to. the collar.

In Fig. 5 which is a section on the line 7 5-5 of Fig. 3 the parts are shown circular and the collar is rotatable relative to the clamping members.

In. an uninstalled condition or in the condition as shown in Fig. 3 the clamping menr or two threads as indicated in Fig. 3. The f jaws 2 2 are opened up by spreading the;

clamping members 1--1 and the trolley wire is inserted between the jaws. I then rotate the collar in a direction which will cause the v thimble will continue to move upwardly if the collar is continued to be rotated. As the thimble now moves upward relatively the clamping members 1-1 and the flanges 3-3 the bead 5 on thethimble will cause the upper portion of the clamping members l-l to be moved outwardly about the point 8 as a fulcrum, and this will cause the lower end of the clamping members 11 to be moved inwardly against tl e wire W.

The operation of rotating the co la is continued unti the jaws sufficiently grip the trolley wire to hold the same securely in place and at the same time the collar will be in engagement with the lower face of the hanger and this engag ment wili increase as the grip upon the trolley wire is increased. Any space between the upper edge of the flange 3 and the adjacent surface of the collar will be taken up when the thimble at begins to raise and expand the flanges 3--3.

It will be observed that it is necessary that the upper face of the thimble should not engage the lower face of the hanger, otherwise the gripping effectof the jaws upon the wire may be prevented. in Fig. 4c the clamp is shown as securely gripping the trolley wire and the base of the hanger H.

In order to remove the clamp fromthe hanger and the trolley wire it is only necessary to reverse the operation of instah lation; that is, to rotate the collar in the opposite direction from that of installation.

Modifications of the disclosure herein made will readily suggest themselves to those versed in the art and i do not wish to be limited to the specific form illustrated and described.

1 claim 1. A device for supporting wires comprising a pair of clamping members pro vided with means forming a recess, a rotating and expanding thimble mounted in the recess and a rotatable member engaging the clamping members to retain them in operative position and engaging the thimble to rotate in unison therewith but having free longitudinal movement therewith.

2. A. device for supporting 'wires com.

risin a oair of clam'ain members arez: 1 l z:

vided with means forminga recess having prising a pair of clamping members pro-.

vided with means forming a reeess having a beveled inner surface at theirupper portgon, a rotating, supportlng and expanding thimble mounted in the recess and a ro tative member engaging the clamping members to retain them in operative position and engaging the thimble to rotate in unlson therewith but havmg free longitudinal movement therewith.

4. A device for supporting wires comprising a pair of clamping members, a rotative collar engaging the clamping members to retain them in operative position and a rotative and expanding thimble inter-engaged with the collar to rotate in unison therewith but to have free longitudinal movement therewith and having mean to engage means on the clamping membe spread the members at one end and force the clamping members into engagement with a wire when the collar and thimble are rotated together in engagement with a hanger and the thimble moved longitudinally to the clamping members.

5.1%. device for supporting wires comprising clampingmeans, rotative means exterior thereof to hold the clamping means in engagement with a wire; a thimble rotatively mounted in the clamping means and adapted to move longitudinally thereof and provided with means engaging other means in the clamping members for moving the clamping members into engagement with the wire when the thimble is moved longi tudinally thereof and provided with means to engage a hanger stud when rotated; a

collar embracing the clamping means andthe thimble and rotatable relative to the clamping means but not movable longitudinally thereof and rotatable in unison with the thimble for the purpose described.

6. A device for supporting wires comprising a pair of clamping members provided with means formin a recess having a beveled inner surface on their upper portion, a collar surrounding the members to retain them together and form an exterior pivotal point for the clamping members to fulcrum about, an expanding thimble located in the recess and inter-connected with the collar to rotate in unison therewith but meansfor securing the device to a hanger.

7. A. device for supporting wires comprising a pair of clamping members provided with means forming a recess, means for gripping a wire at their lower portion, a collar engaging the members intermediate the recess and gripping means for retaining the members together and forming an exte rior pivotal point for the members, an expander thimble located in the recess and inter-connected with the collar to rotate in unison therewith and relatively to the members but free to move longitudinally to the collar.

8. A device for supporting wires comprising a pair of clamping members provided with means forming a recess, means externally engaging and holding the members in pivotal relation, an expanding thimble lo cated in the recess and engaging means therein adapted to move the upper ends of the clamping members about the pivotal point, and external means engaging the members and the adjacent upper end of the. thimble and constructed to rotate in unison with the thimble but to have free longitudinal movement relatively thereto.

9. A suspension device for wires comprising a pair of clamping members provided with means forming a recess, a collar inclosing the members and having engaging and interlocked surfaces to prevent the separation of the parts but permitting a pivotal action of the members relatively to the collar and to each other, an expanding thimble rotatively mounted in the recess and having means for attachment to a hanger stud and means engaging means in the recess to expand the members, the thimble and collar interlocked to rotate together and the thimble having relative longitudinal movement with respect to the members whereby the clamping action on the wire increases in unison with the securing of the thimble on the hanger stud.

10. A suspending device for wires comprising a pair of clamping members provided with means forming a recess at their upper portion, a collar rotatively interlocked with the clamping members and en circling the same to hold them in pivotal relation, a thimble rotatively socketed in the recess and inter-connected with the collar to rotate in unison therewith but free to move longitudinally thereof and having means to engage a hanger and means to en gage means in the recess to spread the members at their upper end and close them at their lower end about the pivotal point when applied to a hanger as described.

and means for gripping a wire at their lower end, and an exterior shoulder formed on the clamping members, a rotatable expanding and suspension thimble positioned in the recess and adapted to engage a hanger stud, and a collar encircling the upper part of the clamping members and interlocked with the shoulder to prevent separation of the parts and rotatively engaging the thimble.

12. A device for supporting wires comprising a pair of clamping members, a collar surrounding the members to hold them in operative position, means on the clamping members to be engaged by the collar and means on the collar adapted to be turned over to engage the aforesaid means on the clamping members to lock the parts against separation and relative longitudinal movement.

13. A device for supporting wires comprising clamping means to receive and clamp a wire; a member rotatively engaging the clamping means to maintain it in clamping relation but having no longitudinal movement relatively thereto; a thimble engaging the collar to rotate therewith but having free longitudinal movement relatively to the collar and rotatively engaging the clamping members but having longitudinal movement therewith and provided with means to engage means on the clamping means for moving the clamping members into engagement with the wire and means for attaching the device to a hanger.

14:. A device for supporting wires comprising clamping means, means exterior thereof to engage and hold the clamping members in engagement with a wire; a thimble rotatably mounted in the clamping means to move longitudinally thereof and provided with means engaging other means in the clamping members for moving the clamping members into engagement with the wire when the thimble is moved longitudinally of the clamping members and provided with means to engage a hanger stud when rotated; means engaging the clamping means and thimble exterior thereof and r0- tatable relative to the clamping means but not movable longitudinally thereof and rotatable in unison with the thimble for the purpose described.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

GEORGES E. HENRY. 

